Rich Creamy Mashed Potato

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Rich Creamy Mashed Potato

Pub Mashed Potato Explained

Bake, don’t boil

The whole reason this mash turns out fluffy is that we bake the potatoes instead of boiling them. Boiled potatoes pull in water during the cook, and water is the enemy of fluffy mash. Baked potatoes come out as dry, which leaves room in the flesh to absorb butter and flavoured milk. Sit the potatoes on a generous layer of salt on a tray, which both draws extra moisture out of the skins and stops them rolling around. Prick the skins a few times so steam can escape, then into a 180°C oven for around an hour and 20 minutes. They’re done when you can press one with your finger and it gives easily with no resistance.

The infusion

While the potatoes are in the oven, we'll infuse the butter and milk with bay, garlic and black peppercorns over a gentle heat. The aromatics steep into the warm liquid and that’s where the mash gets its depth from. This is also where you can play around. Thyme, rosemary, a touch of white miso or even some caramelised onion all work well. Bring the liquid slowly up to a simmer and watch the milk doesn’t boil over while you’re distracted with the potatoes.

Dry the riced potato

Once the potatoes are baked and rested, slice them open, scoop the flesh out and pass it through a ricer. A masher works too if you don’t have one. Tip the riced potato back into a saucepan over medium heat and stir for a couple of minutes to drive off any last steam. This is the step that gets you fluffy mash instead of a dense paste. Then strain the infused milk through a sieve so no peppercorns or bay leaves end up in the potato, and add it in 3 or 4 stages, stirring through each time until you hit the consistency you want. Go slow. You can always add more but you can’t take it out.

Ingredient Notes

Sebago (or other floury) potatoes:

You want a starchy, floury potato. Sebago, Maris Piper, King Edward and Agria are all great choices. The high starch and low moisture content gives you a fluffy mash. Supermarkets often just label spuds as “all-rounder” or “good for roasting”, so a specialty grocer or fruit and veg shop is your best bet for the named variety.

Butter:

100g of unsalted butter for the infusion. Unsalted lets you control the seasoning at the end with a hit of sea salt rather than guessing how much salt is already in there.

Whole milk:

Full-fat, not skim. The fat in the milk is what carries the bay, garlic and peppercorn flavours from the infusion into the potato. Skim milk leaves you with something thin and slightly chalky. If you want it even richer, swap up to half the milk for cream.

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Ingredients

6 medium Sebago potato
Sea salt for baking and seasoning
3 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic
100g unsalted butter +25g extra for serving
6 black peppercorns
500ml whole milk

Equipment

Oven tray
Small, sharp knife
Medium saucepan (for the infusion)
Large saucepan (for the mash)
Sieve
Ricer or potato masher
Wooden spoon or spatula

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Directions

Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Rinse the potatoes under running cold water to thoroughly rinse off any dirt. Dry the potatoes well. Prick the potatoes with the tip of a small, sharp knife to allow steam to escape, roughly 10 pricks all over.
Prepare a flat oven tray and sprinkle over an even layer of salt.
Place the potatoes on this tray, then transfer into the oven to bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until completely soft all the way though. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the bay leaf, garlic, butter, peppercorns and milk to a medium saucier on medium heat to infuse. Take care and watch the milk doesn’t get too hot and boil over.
Slice the potatoes in half, then scoop out the flesh inside. Place the scooped out potato into a ricer and pass through (if you don’t have a ricer, a standard potato masher still works great.)
Place the mashed potato into a clean, large saucier. Place the saucier medium heat and stir for 2 minutes to dry the mash out even further.
Pass the infused milk through a sieve. Add the milk to the potato in 3-4 stages, fully incorporating the liquid into the potato each time. Once you’re happy with the consistency, taste and adjust the seasoning as required.
Place the finished potato mash into a medium sized serving bowl and top with a few knobs of cold butter.

Notes

Chef Tips

Save the skins for snacking

Don’t throw the potato skins out. Cut them in half again, spray with a bit of olive oil and air fry at 200°C until crisp, around 8 to 10 minutes. Serve them with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce for a snack while you finish the mash. They’re brilliant.

Go slow with the milk

Add the strained infusion to the potato in 3 or 4 stages, stirring through fully each time before adding more. You can always add more milk but you can’t take it out if you go too far. Different recipes call for different consistencies. A drier mash for bangers and mash, a wetter one for serving alongside a stew or a wet pie.

Storage

The mash keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, tip it into a saucepan over low heat with a splash of milk or water and stir gently with a spatula to bring it back to a smooth, warm consistency. It also freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating the same way.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead?

Yes. Make the mash up to a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of extra milk to loosen it back up. If you’re making it for a Christmas lunch or a Sunday roast, this saves you a job on the day.

Can I infuse other flavours into the milk?

Yes, this is where the recipe gets fun. Try thyme or rosemary instead of (or with) the bay. A teaspoon of white miso stirred through at the end adds a savoury kick. Caramelised onion infused in the butter is also brilliant. Keep the base of bay, garlic and peppercorns and build from there.

Do I have to use a ricer?

A ricer gives the lightest, smoothest texture but a standard potato masher works fine. Avoid using a food processor or stick blender. The blades overwork the starch in the potato and you’ll end up with a gluey mash.